summons
Americannoun
plural
summonses-
an authoritative command, message, or signal by which one is summoned.
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a request, demand, or call to do something.
a summons to surrender.
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Law.
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a call or citation by authority to appear before a court or a judicial officer.
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the writ by which the call is made.
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an authoritative call or notice to appear at a specified place, as for a particular purpose or duty.
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a call issued for the meeting of an assembly or parliament.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a call, signal, or order to do something, esp to appear in person or attend at a specified place or time
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an official order requiring a person to attend court, either to answer a charge or to give evidence
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the writ making such an order Compare warrant
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a call or command given to the members of an assembly to convene a meeting
verb
Other Word Forms
- nonsummons noun
- resummons noun
Etymology
Origin of summons
1250–1300; Middle English somons < Anglo-French; Old French somonse < Vulgar Latin *summonsa, for Latin summonita, feminine past participle of summonēre; summon
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Citrus Heights Police Department chief declined to comment specifically on the case but said that while the citation process isn’t infallible, all individuals who get a summons receive due process.
On this particular Sunday, Williams summons a song from thin air.
In August 2018, Smyth received a summons from Hampshire Police to return to England for questioning, under the threat of extradition.
From BBC
The representative didn’t take questions from the assembled journalists, including about which news articles may have prompted the summons.
Mother Joy burst into tears when told of Robin's international summons.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
